Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto
by Jason's Taylor
Summary: It's after the funeral for the 6th Hokage, Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto. After the funeral, the Konoha 11 and friends reminisce about the past...the trials Naruto went through after the 4th Shinobi War to become a Hokage. Exploring all themes (light/dark/comedy/romance/etc). Join these old, retired Shinobi by the campfire, there's quite a story to tell.
1. Chapter 1

"We are here today to pay our last respects…" A man in black robes started, holding a small booklet in front of him. "…to not only the Hero of the 4th Shinobi War, Hero of Konoha, 6th Hokage, but to our dearest friend…"

The man continued on with his speech, but no one was really listening. Granted, the person reading the passage was doing it automatically. Everyone at the funeral were reliving their moments with the 6th Hokage, going as far back to their own childhood. Everyone shed silent tears, but there were several people that couldn't hold back. One of them had long, light blue hair that reached down to the lower back. Her normally cream-colored eyes were puffy and red from the tears that refused to stop. She was approached by a woman with light pink hair and a man with jet-black hair.

"Hi-Hinata…," the woman started, but bit her lower lip. Her eyes were also puffy from the tears that refused to stop. The man with the raven hair held the woman tightly around him.

"Shh…it's okay, Sakura…" the man said as he brushed the back of her head. He opened an arm, as if to invite Hinata in the embrace as well. Hinata took it, and the man was trying to comfort the two women. It was hard for him, considering that he too, was trying to stop himself from crying. After all, an Uchiha shouldn't lose his composure in public. The three stood there in silent mourning as the three's attention focused back to the man.

"…please pay your final respects to the 6th Hokage, Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto."

_**Several Days Later**_

There was a small gathering at the Namikaze residence, with the small, tight-knit group of friends. They all sat together around the large living room floor, engaging in their separate conversations. The group that had gathered were commonly referred to as the Konoha 12, with Sakura, Tenten, Neji, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Lee, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji. Though Sai wasn't technically considered as part of the 12, he would always be considered a part of that group. With Naruto's recent passing, the 12 was unfortunately missing one. The group didn't say much as they drank their tea, not quite knowing what to say; it was usually Naruto that led the conversations. The men stood up and walked out to the back porch area where some sat, some leaned, and some lay out across the grass. It was a while before Kiba broke the silence.

"You guys remember…back at the Academy?" Kiba asked with a light chuckle. "When Naruto used to paint all the faces on Hokage Mountain?"

"That was a long time ago…I can't believe I forgot about it." Chouji responded, as he pulled out a small bag of chips. "Shikamaru, remember when you, me, and Naruto would skip class?"

"How can I forget that? Still wish it was like the days in the Academy…" Shikamaru sighed as he pulled out a cigarette and a very, very worn Zippo lighter. He lit the cigarette to his face and took a long drag. "Doing work as head of a department is so troublesome…"

"…what's with us?! Are we not the fiery youths that we once were?!" Lee cried out as he attempted to stand on his arms. He miserably failed as his arms gave way and flipped onto his back on the grass. "Okay…maybe not…"

"Dumbass…" Sasuke spoke out. "We're well past the 'age of youth.' We have grandsons now you know…"

"Naruto always had a difficult time recognizing me…" Shino spoke as his bugs crawled out from his sleeves into the earth. "…it frustrated me always…but now I miss it."

"He's impacted us in many ways, both knowing and unknowing…" Neji replied as he looked up into the evening sky. "I don't think I've ever properly thanked him…"

"...I've read in a book that there are some people who never receive a verbal 'thank you,' for their deeds," Sai stated as he pulled out his sketch pad and colored pencils. "…but I believe Naruto knew. Thanks to him, I'm not as emotionless as I used to be…though some emotions still confuse me…"

"Hahaha, I remember that!" Shikamaru said as he puffed out another smoke cloud. "I remember the first time we met…you attacked Chouji, Naruto, and me…and look at all of us now…here, talking about him."

"I hope the girls are okay, especially Hinata-sama…," Neji trailed off. The guys that were either standing or sitting couldn't help but look back towards the house. Neji sighed. "It's a difficult time for the village…and even a difficult time for us. I can only begin to imagine the pain she's going through…"

_**Meanwhile, in the Namikaze House**_

The women were busying themselves around the home: cooking, arranging the dinner table, anything. They all tried to work on something so the pain would be dulled ever so slightly. The clings and clacks from the dishes, the sizzling and bubbling from the stove, and the _thuk thuk _sounds of the cutting board were the only things that broke the silence. Soon though, as if a timer had gone off, the women had stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. All of them but a certain Hyuuga Namikaze Hinata, whose hands were trembling as they tried to complete the task of cutting the leek, made eye contact. The women shook their heads slightly; they were clearly upset, but how was Hinata handling it? It was then Sakura left the duties of cooking and placed a hand on Hinata's trembling body.

"Hinata…come on, you can stop…" Sakura cooed, trying to relax her.

"It's o-okay S-Sakura-ch-chan…" Hinata stuttered. "I-I-I should he-help…"

"Nope! Sorry but you're duty is now taken," came the voice of Ino as she gently pulled the knife from Hinata's hands. "Don't worry Hinata…let us take care of it. We're here for you…"

Without much resistance, Hinata allowed herself to be led to the dining room's kitchen, where the table had been extended to seat the guests in the house. Hinata took a seat in the middle, with Sakura sitting next to her. Hinata's breathing was becoming shorter and shorter as the tears began to stream out again.

"S-s-sakura-ch-chan…I miss him…" Hinata trembled as she wiped away the tears with a handkerchief on the table.

"Shh…there there…" Sakura pulled her to a comfortable embrace, allowing Hinata to cry on her shoulder. "We've always known you've loved him…and that dummy finally knew when you stood up against Pain…"

"…I-I-I just d-did what N-Naruto-k-kun would've done…" Hinata spoke in between tears. "Naruto-kun w-was so…cl-clueless…"

"You've got that right! Never realized there was a beauty that had a crush on him," Tenten joined them at the seat across from the pair. "Though…remember when he kissed Sasuke?"

As if a switch flicked from off to on, every girl couldn't help but laught at Tenten's comment. Even Hinata managed to give a light chuckle at this comment. Yes, they had remembered. Everyone in their class had just turned into a Genin and were given their team assignments. The detail was hazy, but some form of an argument led to Naruto and Sasuke kissing.

"Oh man…how can _anyone_ forget that?" Ino spoke as she dumped the leeks into the sizzling pan. "It was like…Sakura's and my worst nightmare!"

"It was q-quite em-embarassing…" Hinata spoke, her nerves and sobs calming down. "I th-thought I might've f-fainted!"

The girls had shared another chuckle as they were finished with the dinner preparations. When Ino had called out to come in, everyone got themselves situated on the table, with the head spot left empty. Each had managed to whisper an "itadakimasu*," and dug into their meal. Other than the occasional clanks of silverware, the group had remained quiet. After dinner was finished and dishes were cleaned and put away, the group walked walked to the backyard, where a small fire pit was. Chouji got the firewood stacked and Sasuke got the fire going with his jutsus.

The friends gathered around the flames, most of them extending their palms out to welcome the radiating heat. The firewood crackled and popped to their heart's content as Chouji pulled out a bag of marshmallows, crackers, and chocolate bars. As the friends roasted their marshmallows in silence, they couldn't help but to reflect back to the past. A past where what they thought they knew about Naruto changed. It started soon after the Ninja War…

_**Sometime after the 4**__**th**__** Ninja War**_

It's been 3 days since the ninjas and Kage's returned to their respective villages in victory. The ninjas that had returned home were greeted in the same way: as war heros. Every ninja had accepted the welcome greeting differently; some cried, some cheered along with the crowd, but most of the ninjas tried to find their families amongst the thick crowds. Once the crowds had dispersed, the Kages of each Hidden Village had made the official speech about the end of the 4th Ninja War. Every Kage had praised one particular ninja from Konoha: Uzumaki Naruto.

Konoha, like the other villages, celebrated in their own special way. The Academy Students were allowed a week's vacation and the townsfolk managed to host a festival despite the Konoha reconstruction. The townsfolk of Konoha hosted 2 different celebrations at the same time: one for the end of the war, and the other for the war hero Naruto. It was in the official released report that Naruto had defeated the masked man claiming to be Uchiha Madara and managed to play a big part in sealing the Uchiha Madara that was summoned by Kabuto's Edo Tensei Jutsu. To almost everyone, the world's problems had finally ended.

Not for one, orange-clad Leaf Ninja.

Naruto was ushered from party to party by his friends, senseis, and god knows who else for what seemed like forever. To be honest, Naruto didn't mind it: it kept him from thinking too much. It also proved to himself that he had changed the village's opinion of him. Naruto was still caught off-guard when other ninjas, villages, and everyone else asked for his autograph. Naruto managed to create one: Naruto wrote his name and then drew the whiskers that he himself had on his face. When all the party hopping died down as night approached, Naruto couldn't help but reflect back to the past when he was home. Losing that pervy-sage…seeing someone almost die in front of you, right after that person confesses their love…meeting his parents for the first time…

Naruto rubbed his eyes and slammed his palm against the alarm clock that screamed at his ear. He threw the blanket to the corner of his bed as he rolled off, grabbed a change of clothes and dragged his feet into the shower. After the hot shower and changing, Naruto grabbed his ninja tool bag, holstered it, and walked out of the house. Naruto stopped by Ichiraku Ramen to get his favorite ramen. After hastily finishing his bowl, Naruto paid and ran off to his destination: Hokage Tower.

Like usual, Naruto didn't really give any forewarning before he busted through the door of Tsunade's office. When Naruto stood in the middle of the room, Tsunade merely looked up from her paper. She grabbed the cup of hot tea from her desk and took a sip as she put the paper down. Tsunade had a small smile on her lips, thinking back from when she first met him to now.

"What do you want so early in the morning, Naruto…?" Tusnade asked. Her smile vanished when her eyes made eye contact with Naruto. "…Naruto?"

"Tsunade baa-chan…" Naruto began. His fists tightened inside of his pants pockets. He looked up with a look of grim determination. "I want to know more about my parents."

* * *

*Itadakimasu: A way of saying "Let's eat," or "Thank you for the meal," before you actually start eating. Kinda hard to translate, seeing as I'm not Japanese…-.-

* * *

Author's Notes: Thanks for taking the time to read Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto! This is a fic which mixes fluff/dark/romantic/dramatic elements into it, with a splash of humor (well, I try anyway…).

This work will have some O.O.C. throughout. For this story, following the character's personality to the letter is going to prove difficult, but that doesn't mean that I won't try to keep it as In Character as possible.

If you want to see my style of writing, please look up "The 14th Division" in the Bleach section of the site. Other than that, enjoy! Reviews welcomed and will always try to reply!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello and thank you for your 3 month patience! I had a lot of things going on in my life (starting a new business) and have been completely focused on that. With the school opened and all that stuff taken care of, I'm settling back into a good rhythm with my writing.

I hope this chapter will re-reel your interest (see what I did there?) into this fanfic. It's been way too long since I wrote anything, and slowly getting my bearings.

Now, I have a poll set up: Should I revive someone back from the dead? Go to my profile to select an option.

Just a reminder, my story will mix all styles of writing: Light/Dark/Romance/Action/Drama/Gore/etc. I am trying to expand my writing style through writing fan fiction.

With that out of the way, here I am, writing once again!

* * *

_Previously, on Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto,_

_ Like usual, Naruto didn't really give any forewarning before he busted through the door of Tsunade's office. When Naruto stood in the middle of the room, Tsunade merely looked up from her paper. She grabbed the cup of hot tea from her desk and took a sip as she put the paper down. Tsunade had a small smile on her lips, thinking back from when she first met him to now._

_ "What do you want so early in the morning, Naruto…?" Tusnade asked. Her smile vanished when her eyes made eye contact with Naruto. "…Naruto?"_

_ "Tsunade baa-chan…" Naruto began. His fists tightened inside of his pants pockets. He looked up with a look of grim determination. "I want to know more about my parents."_

_Chapter 2_

"You…what?"Tsunade stood there slightly baffled. Usually when Naruto busted through the door was because Naruto hadn't received any cool, S-Class missions, and his question this morning threw her off. "Parents…?"

"Um…yea…my parents, the 4thHokage and his wife."Naruto spoke as he scratched the back of his head. Like usual, Tsunade would be screaming at the top of her lungs at the intrusion. "Do you know anything about them, Tsunade baa-chan?"

"Well…" Tsunade spoke before she bit her thumbnail slightly. When Tsunade took office, the Village Elders rammed Naruto's secret ANBU file in her face. After reading the documents, it was revealed that Minato was Naruto's father and Kushina was his mother. Tsunade guessed this, as she did train the two during during their young Ninja Career. Tsunade felt a slight tinge of regret as she wished that she had the chance to learn about the pair more, but it wasn't meant to be. The Hokage's thoughts were distracted as she heard the grumbling of Naruto's stomach.

"Come on baa-chan…I haven't had my fill of ramen, just one bowl!" Naruto spoke as he clung to his stomach.

"I didn't know them too well, I only taught Minato and Kushina briefly during the Ninja War before I departed Konoha," Tsunade spoke as she stood up and fiddled around with one of the portraits. She took the portrait down and cut her thumb, wiping the blood across the seal that was attached to the wall. With the blood, the seal sizzled slightly before poofing from existence, revealing a small safe. She flashed through several hand signs and unlocked the safe. Tsunade tossed the folder labeled, 'Top Secret ANBU: NamikazeUzumakiNaruto."

"This is the file I have of you since your infancy," Tsunade said as she tossed the sealed folder to Naruto. "It recounts your life from that incident to when you got that small apartment to yourself."

Naruto was slightly disappointed that Tsunade didn't any personal knowledge of his parents, but was somewhat satisfied with the fact that there was a file that survived Pain's onslaught. Taking a deep breath, Naruto gathered a little bit of chakra on his fingers and broke the seals and sat down on the desk opposite of the 5thhokage. As Naruto read the file, he realized the reason why everyone was treating him badly in the past; all knowledge of the Kyuubi incident was altered and banned from discussion. As he read the file, Naruto saw the 3rdHokage's note mentioning that the truth would be revealed when Naruto was either 16 or Chuunin, whichever came first.

"Well, this explains why everyone treated me that way…"Naruto mumbled to himself. He met the gaze of the 5th before saying, "Is there any personal files of my parents at all?"

Tsunade sighed. Tsunade recollected that the ANBU secret files of Naruto wasn't complete either, and was shocked that even the Konoha elite unit would harbor ill feelings towards the son of the 4th. Tsunade took the sad excuse of a personnel file, resealed it, and stood up in on gracious motion.

"Naruto…follow me."

The two travelled in silence as they navigated through the temporary building set up by Yamato, where the Hokage Tower used to stand. Once they exited through the back exit, the two jumped up theHokage Mountain until they landed on top of the 4th's Head. Before Naruto could question Tsunade, the 5thHokage quickly went through a complex of seals. Tsunade stopped on the Dragon hand seal before running her index finger down in a straight line. Naruto was confused with Tsunade's actions until a crack in the mountain slowly spread apart, revealing a steel door. At the center of the steel door was a paper seal, with the words 'NamikazeUzumaki.'

"I need you to draw a little bit of blood and smear it onto the seal," Tsunade said. Seeing the confused look, Tsunade sighed. "Like you're doing a Summoning."

Naruto had the "oh," look before cutting a small part of his thumb with his kunai, and smeared his slightly blood-covered hand onto the seal. The seal soaked up Naruto's blood as the words illuminated to a dull crimson red. As the light began to fade, the seal began to burn itself away and the steel door slid open. When Naruto and Tsunade entered the doorway, the steel door slammed itself shut, getting a surprised yelp from Naruto. As soon as the two were encased in the darkness, torches at the sides of the cave entrance began to light itself up, dimly lighting a trail to a clearing. The two ninjas walked slowly until they were at the clearing.

The sight that greeted Naruto and Tsunade shocked them. The room didn't have any torches, as the cave ceiling was letting in the natural light from outside through its numerous cracks. The first thing that was in front of Naruto and Tsuande was the desks, tables, chairs, and candles that sat in a neat order. Behind the desks and tables were rows upon rows of bookshelves, each with its own designation. Before Naruto could approach any of the texts, Tsunade pointed out several sealed letters and scrolls on top of the center desk. Naruto grabbed the one with the oldest date, untied the string and unrolled the scroll. The contents read"

_To the Namikaze and Uzumaki Family Members,_

_ I am Namikaze Minato, the 4__th__Hokage of Konohagakure. This library holds all of the secret Jutsus and Sealing techniques of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans. This project was started shortly after I started to date one Uzumaki Kushina, cousin to the late Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the 1__st__Hokage. After the Uzushiogakure's* downfall, I made it a personal mission to gather what I could for my, now wife, Kushina. Kushina, the 3__rd__ Hokage (Sarutobi Hiruzen), and I have managed to gather most of the secret techniques and family histories, and categorized them in this room._

_ If you are accessing this library and reading this letter, I have either passed away or have been killed in action, and Kushina has passed on as well. I hope that the future of the Namikaze and Uzumaki will be prosperous, and that someday the Uzushiogakure is rebuilt stronger than ever._

_ Namikaze Minato  
4__th__Hokage, Konohagakure_

Naruto froze. This was a letter written by his father. He couldn't help but recognize the clear, smooth handwriting of his father and chuckled to himself. As Naruto rolled down the scroll a bit further, there were instructions on how to safely remove the anti-item aging seals on the tomes and scrolls before moving them, and how to reapply the seals. The handwriting wasn't as smooth as his fathers, but it was short and to the point. On the bottom of the directions was his mother's signature.

"My parents…created this room for the future of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans…"Naruto mumbled as he rolled up the scroll and redid the string. He went to the next letter, which surprisingly was addressed to him 3 years ago. Naruto fumbled with the letter, as the piece of paper was folded in a weird way. Naruto did manage to unfold it and read its contents:

_My boy Naruto,_

_ I am so sorry that this old man didn't tell you of your family history. I really wish the villagers looked to you as the Kyuubi's jailer, the hero, but alas, that has not occurred. However, I am proud that your "never give up" attitude has gotten you so far in your Ninja career. You've passed Kakashi's test, completed the C-turned to A-class mission, and passed through the 1__st__ and 2__nd__ stages of the Chuunin exams._

_ This room was designed by your parents. They wanted to make sure that the Namikaze and Uzumaki family history would be preserved. If you pass the preliminaries, I was going to lead you into this room with Jiraiya, your godfather._

_ If you are reading this letter it means I have passed on to the afterlife, either through old age or through combat. I can only ask you to forgive me._

_ And remember, Naruto…as the season's change, the great tree that is Konoha will shed its old, deadening leaves for the younger and stronger ones to take its place. Don't give up until you achieve Hokage…maybe you'll actually take the hat from me!_

_SarutobiHiruzen  
3__rd__Hokage_

Naruto had no words to his letter, it was written right before the Sand/Sound invasion! Naruto folded up the letter and stored it in his inner jacket pocket for safe keeping, and looked around the library. There was a neat, small pile of seals and a small scroll, labeled "Steel Door Re-Sealer."Naruto shoved the seals into his paper and quickly read the scroll, revealing the hand signs to make the steel door appear and disappear, and how to reapply and activate the seal. Naruto stared blankly at the rows and rows of the bookshelves now. There was no way he had the knowledge at the moment to be able to practice all the Jutsus in the room, but he wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't give it his all.

Naruto turned around to give Tsunade one of the biggest grins he's ever produced.

"Never thought I had this much, and that my parents would leave me with such an important mission!"Naruto spoke aloud. "I'll master every technique, and I'll become the best Hokage yet!"

"A…ah, someday maybe,"Tsunade managed to find her voice and speak. Her smirk returned. "But you have to be book smart as well as being a strong ninja, Naruto!"

Naruto groaned; books were his worst enemy during the academy and his proofreading the "IchaIcha" novels of Jiraiya didn't help either. He remembered the words and kanji Jiraiya used were near impossible to read, but he got a good grasp of grammar and vocabulary by the end of the 3-year training trip. Naruto didn't realize he read his father's writing easily though, since Minato developed his penmanship from Jiraiya. Naruto grabbed the door seals and the 3rdHokage's letter, and the two departed from the caves.

Tsunade and Naruto separated as soon as Naruto sealed and concealed the secret entrance to the Namikaze-Uzumaki Library. Naruto dashed as fast as he could towards the newly built Ichiraku Ramen, whereas Tsunade took the long path back to the Hokage tower. The 5th walked past the back entrance of the tower to the newly set-up Greenhouse, where the medic ninjas were growing the much needed medicinal herbs. Tsunade took solace in the location; something about the plants gave her a sense of comfort and relaxation. As Tsunade took her seat on one of the benches, she tilted her head slightly and spoke.

"Quite the outgoing one today…Dragon," Tsunade remarked, as the man code-named 'Dragon' appeared before her on one knee. His long black overcoat hid the elaborately colored, Dragon-faced mask and any recognizable features.

"I see that you've shown Naruto a part of his inheritance, Hokage-sama," Dragon spoke. "Will he be able to master all the techniques in that room, as he claimed?"

"Who knows?" Tsunade chuckled slightly. "I don't think he could do any of the complex Fuinjutus, but he might be able to master several of the 4th's…"

"…it seems to be quite ironic, that one of the strongest ninjas of Konoha is still a Genin," Dragon stated, his head still bowed down respectfully. "It's a shame that Konoha won't be sending any Shinobi to the Chuunin exams until the village is fully operational…"

"Just spit it out, Dragon! I know when you want something!" Tsunade teased as she motioned the ANBU to stand.

"Before I make my request…there's important news that I must share with you, Hokage-sama. It is of one missing-nin, UchihaSasuke."

**Somewhere, in the Mountains**

The area known as the Sangaku no Hakaba* was just that, a graveyard in the mountains. Travelers, Shinobi, and Archeologists would agree that it is a densely forested region with massive bones of ancient animals scattered throughout the mountain range. What these people didn't realize, however, was that if you followed the path to the tallest of mountains, that path would lead you to a small valley. After traveling through the valley, one would find themselves in a clearing, with the rib cage of a giant beast acting as a gate. If one were to go towards this makeshift gate, they would find that there would be an inhibited cave. The person or people who may have found this clearing would never leave to tell the tale, as the current resident keeps his privacy as a priority.

The man is approximately 16 or 17 years of age, with his chin-length black hair and the onyx eyes currently resided there, after the original 'tenants' have been defeated and killed at the end of the 4th Great Shinobi War. His usually pristine outfit, which was composed of a light lavender long-sleeve shirt, dark blue pants, and blue cloth fastened by the ropes that held his katana was stained in blood. The blood didn't belong to him, as the body in front of him would suggest. The body had long black hair, had faint yellow long-sleeve shirt, but the rest of the outfit was the same. As the teen kicked the dead body over, the eyes of Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin, stared blankly towards the ceiling.

The one that killed him was none other than Uchiha Sasuke, the current tenant of the secret base used by the former Uchiha Obito. Sasuke grabbed a handful of Orochimaru's shirt and wiped his blade clean before returning it into the sheath. After his blade was clean to his satisfaction, Sasuke simply burned the body with a simple Fire Jutsu. Similar to Karin, Sasuke disposed Orochimaru after the Sannin's use had expired.

When Sasuke revived Orochimaru from Anko's Curse Seal, Orochimaru led Sasuke to several hidden bases, which Sasuke were unfamiliar with. From there, the secret history of Konoha and the outlying villages were revealed to him, and every single detail of the Uchiha Massacre. His thoughts were conflicted and confirmed; his brother Itachi had sacrificed himself for the betterment of all, not just the betterment of a clan. He was somewhat astonished and proud of his brother's sacrifice, but at the same time hated the village for forcing his hand this way. Sasuke also found out from Orochimaru's texts that Danzo, the unannounced 6th Hokage, was the man manipulating the scenes for both the Uchiha and Elder Council. After learning of the truth, Sasuke returned to Obito's hideout in order to think; he had a lot of information to sort through. What Sasuke didn't realize was that Orochimaru was secretly tailing him, waiting for the opportune moment to embed the Curse Seal once more.

When Orochimaru attacked, Sasuke dealt with the attack swiftly and efficiently; the Snake Sannin had no chance, but was it intentional. Sure, Orochimaru wanted Sasuke's body for the Sharingan eyes, but even in a weakened state the Snake Sannin could fight better. The normal blocks, parries, and dodges that should have been there weren't. It was almost as if he wanted to be killed by the young teen. Sasuke shook the thought out of his mind as he sealed up the Sharingan eyes into the few transportation scrolls. For now, he had questions for the other two elders, and no one would stop Sasuke until he got them.

He would head to Konoha.

* * *

After-story A/N No Jutsu: Thanks for reading to the very end! Remember the poll on my profile!

It's truly been a while and I apologize to the people who favorited this. It's a work in progress…and getting my life back together.

*Uzushiogakure: Hidden Village of the Whirlpools

*Fuinjutsus: Sealing Techniques

*Sangaku no Hakaba: Mountains' Graveyard


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes no Jutsu: My note on the top here said I'd release Chapter 3 (this chapter) within a couple days...but I decided to proofread and make it slightly better.

There's a poll on my profile. It will be closed after the Release in Chapter 4 (couple weeks for this one), so please vote now!

I'd like to thank the 7 people who 'favorited' the story and 9 people who put this story on alert!

Again, this story is written by fans _for _fans! Let's show some mutual love that is fandom by leaving a review =p

I forgot to post Review-Responses, so it'll go down in the bottom of the page!

* * *

Chapter 3, Enjoy

_Previously, on Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto,_

_ "Just spit it out, Dragon! I know when you want something!" Tsunade teased as she motioned the ANBU to stand. _

_ "Before I make my request…there's important news that I must share with you, Hokage-sama. It is of one missing-nin, Uchiha Sasuke."_

"Uchiha Sasuke, huh…" Tsunade bit her lip. She didn't need this to happen right now, as the village just started getting back on its feet. "What is it?"

"It is reported that the Uchiha has access to the clan's ultimate technique, the Susano'o," Dragon spoke. He didn't wait as he continued with his report. "We have also found Mitarashi Anko, with the Curse Seal absent. We're not quite sure how the seal was removed but her personality seemed to have been _slightly_ affected."

Tsunade shuddered to think of Anko's 'transformations.' Still, could be worse.

"In light of this information, I would like to take in Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto as part of the ANBU training." Dragon concluded, much to Tsunade's shock.

"Naruto? His fashion and techniques scream for attention! He's nowhere ANBU material!" Tsunade chuckled. "He is easily one of the most powerful ninjas here, though his intelligence seems to be somewhat lacking."

"If the Uchiha's warning come to pass, it would be vital for Namikaze-san to know a few of the 4th's techniques, as well as the Uzumaki Fuinjutsus to counter the Sharingan dojutsus…" Dragon trailed off.

"Hmm, well I'm fine with it, maybe it'd knock some brains into the kid," Tsunade chuckled. "Recruited by ANBU is automatically a Jounin promotion, so he won't be Genin for too long either…excellent! Dragon, I want you to personally initiate and train him into a great ANBU unit."

"It will be done, Hokage-sama," with that, the head of the ANBU unit faded into the ground.

**With Naruto**

As Naruto finished off the usual 5-bowl ramen meal, he took out the 3rdHokage's letter once more. The orange-clad ninja couldn't help but reminisce about the past with the 3rd Hokage as he held the 3rd letter in his hands. When he was little, Naruto asked the 3rd to make a super-secret cool jutsu that only he and the 3rd would know. The Hokage simply folded a piece of paper strangely, saying that the super-secret jutsu will be sealed like that. The 3rd had sent him the hand seals of the Bunshin-no-Jutsu, which he found out later was an academy technique. The Hokage would fold the paper like this whenever he sent something to Naruto to ensure no one tampered with the letter. Why is a letter folded like this, Naruto wondered.

As Naruto reexamined the letter, he couldn't help but notice that the paper was way thicker than the paper you buy at the stores. The feel of the paper was just off, and Naruto couldn't help but rub the paper against his thumb and index finger. What didn't surprise Naruto was that there was another paper stuck with the original letter, which he peeled off. It was another letter for him:

_Naruto,_

_ I knew that if I folded the paper this way, you'd know something would be up. The next Hokage wouldn't know of your estate, and the Hokage advising council (Homura and Koharu) would be unwilling for you to claim it. Long story short, your family's rich with a large plot of land. It's actually located in the "forbidden" part at the top of the Hokage Monument._

_There's a high-level genjutsu placed there, but all you need to do is run through these seals: Dragon, Ram, Dragon, Ram, and it will dispel…but only if you or one other person does it. The genjutsu is linked with blood, which I set up with your blood sample. The necessary paperwork is there for you to claim the estate as your own. It also has proof of your birth, should you run into any issues. Just give it to the current Hokage, unless it's you, than do it yourself!_

_ Your parents bodies are also buried there and I think it's time to pay your respects._

_I was so proud of Minato and Kushina…and I'm so proud of you. Grow to be a great young man, Naruto. Oh, last bit of advice: don't get hung up on your crush Sakura…her fangirl-ism blinds her to anyone but Sasuke. There is a girl though that has a quite a crush on you…from the Hyuuga Family…very shy girl. Even though the villagers don't seem to like you, open your eyes and heart; as long as there's a way in, people will go in. _

_Anyways, now I definitely have to go! The Kazekage is waiting for me outside! Should you have any questions, bring this letter to the Hokage, ask for the ANBU leader, Dragon, and show him this:_

"_An old, grayer maple leaf floats to the ground to its impending end, only to be carried out by the gentle breezes to nowhere."_

_3__rd __Hokage_

_Ok…what?_ Naruto thought.. ANBU were the ninjas that worked directly under the Hokage who wore really funny masks. Naruto snickered a little bit; he remembered escaping from many ANBU members after his world famous pranks! As he thought back, the masks slightly resembled some sort of animal, but he didn't recall anyone with a Dragon mask. Naruto absent-mindedly folded the paper in the same manner as it was before pocking it in his inner jacket pocket.

Couple things bothered him about the letter, but what was surprising was the "woman" advice he unknowingly got and needed at the moment. The first person Naruto thought of when he repeated the Hyuga name was Neji, and shook his head violently. There's _no way_ that Neji was a chick…just, no. Naruto frantically racked his brain one more time, but didn't seem to remember.

"_**Naruto, I respect you and all but…you really need to remember people better." **_The voice of Kurama echoed. _**"The woman that stepped in during your fight with pain is a Hyuga, and she confessed, remember?"**_

"_How can I forget Hinata, Kurama? She's the one that jumped…" _Naruto paused for a brief moment. _"The Byakugan…damn it, thanks Kurama!"_

"_**Anytime, Naruto…" **_Kurama spoke. _**He's more like his father…even Mito and Kushina had more sense when it came to the mating rituals…this should play out quite interestingly…**_Kurama thought to himself as he laid in his comfortable position and became the silent observer once more as Naruto ran and jumped towards the Shinobi campsite.

Naruto was greeted with a clam, quiet campsite as he panted slightly. From what he was told, the clans had used their pool of resources to house all Konoha ninjas in the vicinity. Naruto's temporary residence was sponsored by the Hyuga family household. Naruto paused for a moment before putting his hands together in the meditation position to achieve Sage Mode. As Naruto gathered nature chakra, he sensed who he was looking for and Shunshin-ed towards her.

"Hey! Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed as he landed besides the poor, startled girl. Hinata almost fainted right then and there; her crush just appeared out of nowhere, looking for her too! Normally, a Hyuga with their bloodline has a near 360 degree vision, with their blind spot unique to each family member. Without the bloodline active...

"Y-y-y-y-y-yes Na-Na-Na-Naruto-k-k-un?" Hinata barely managed to stutter out as she calmed the racing heartbeat. When she finally managed to look up, Hinata swore she could've seen the orange Sage eye marks.

"I, uh…um…" Naruto deadpanned. Naruto normally didn't have a problem to talking to anyone outside of a mission. Even when he chased around Sakura, did he not have an issue starting pointless conversation. The problem was, this conversation wasn't pointless, he was talking to someone who confessed to him during the battle against Pain.

As Naruto scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed chuckle, a thought popped into his mind. During his training travel with Jiraiya, the Ero-sennin forced Naruto to read the drafts of the next 'Icha Icha' series. There was a scene where the guy takes the girl into another place before talking about romance. When Naruto asked why, Jiraiya mentioned that people tend to do this type of thing without any interruptions.

"Um…hey! I need someone with me to check something out! Come with me!" Naruto didn't give Hinata time to reply, as he grabbed her hand and shunshin-dragged her.

**Little While Later, at the top of the Hokage Monument**

Hinata was in the best possible dream ever. She was dreaming that she was being carried to a romantic location by Naruto. Her dream felt so real too as she hugged the 'dream' Naruto. When she looked up, Hinata saw the slight blush on Naruto that usually was on her whenever he was around. Only problem was, Hyuga Hinata wasn't dreaming. Hinata rubbed her eyes as she woke up, looking up at the slightly blushing Naruto as he carried her to an undisclosed location. She promptly fainted again, right before reaching the clearing on top of the Hokage Mountain. Naruto placed the recently-fainted Hinata on a nearby tree and shook her gently.

"Hinata…Oi, Hinata!"Naruto gently shook the Hyuga. The Hyuga heiress rubbed her eyes and opened them, the pupil-less light lavender eyes staring straight into the ocean-blue ones. "Good, your awake!"

"Na-naruto-kun,"Hinata stuttered slightly as she straightened her clothing. "Wh-where are we? How w-we get h-here?"

"Ah...haha, well you see…"Naruto chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "When I asked you to go somewhere with me, you kinda fainted so I carried you here…"

Hinata gave a small 'eep,' at the realization. Hinata would've fainted again if it wasn't for Naruto blocking several kunai that flew towards their direction. The numbers of kunai doubled than tripled, forcing Naruto to use his Kage Bunshins to parry the projectiles.

"Hinata! Where are the attackers?" Naruto asked as his eyes never left the forest. This time, Naruto did remember about the Hyuga bloodline and commanded, "Use your Byakugan!"

"Byakugan!"Hinata's voice rang out. The veins around her eyes and temples flexed out of her face as the pale lavender eyes hardened. Hinata began her search at the direction of the kunais, but didn't see anything. She looked around and below ground, to no avail. "Naruto-kun! Above!"

Naruto jumped up, kunai in hand, to meet the assailant. As soon as the two's kunais scratched off each other, Naruto and the assailant were locked in a fierce Taijutsu battle. Naruto was shocked at the skill of the man, as he barely managed to dodge or parry the potentially crippling blows. Naruto tried to counter-attack to no avail, even changing his style to the Frog Kumite without the Sage Mode active. Before Naruto could get the hit in, the man kicked Naruto squarely in the chest, causing Naruto to fall to the ground heavily.

"Who are you, and why are you attacking us-ttebayo?!" Naruto yelled out as one of the clones started spinning chakra on the original's hands. Naruto glared at the assailant, and finally managed to take his features in as he calmed his mind for a plan.

The man was wore a black overcoat, with a hood that covered his head. Within the hood was a white mask, elaborately painted and shaped like an animal. Upon closer inspection, it reminded Naruto of a Dragon from stories when he was younger. He saw the Kohona Leaf symbol on the man's hand guard and the top of his mask.

"Why is the ANBU attacking me?" Naruto asked as the Rasengan swirled in his palm, spinning eagerly for its mark. "I did nothing wrong!"

"Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto," the ANBU spoke. Naruto and Hinata were both shocked. Naruto only learned of his true surname not too long ago, and Hinata recognized the Yondaime Hokage's surname. "I am Dragon, the ANBU captain."

_**"The Sandaime Hokage's letter, Naruto..." **_Kurama started. _**"It mentions the ANBU person Dragon. Try the phrase the 3**__**rd**__** left to you…if he's an imposter, he wouldn't really react to it."**_ The Kyuubi 'shrugged,' before fading out of Naruto's mindscape.

"Dragon…" Naruto started. "An old, grayer maple leaf floats to the ground to its impending-."

"…end, only to be carried out by the gentle breezes to nowhere." Dragon finished the phrase. "I understand that the Hokage gave you access to the Namikaze Uzumaki vault? Namikaze-san."

"N-Namikaze-san?"Hinata questioned. "The only one with that surname…"

"Namikaze Minato, my father." Naruto finished the thought for her. Naruto realized he forgot to explain his heritage to his friends, as he saw a confused, disbelieving look. Not like he had time since as soon as Pain attacked the village, he found himself trying to convince the Raikage of Sasuke's 'innocence,' found himself on a giant turtle island mastering the Kyuubi's chakra, then found himself fighting a war. "I'll explain to everyone later. Why are you here, Dragon?"

"Well, first of all, weave the seal to dispel the genjutsu in the area," Dragon spoke. He looked at the slightly baffled Naruto and Hinata. Dragon sighed. "Dragon, Ram, Dragon, Ram, hand seals please. Let's talk in a more…comfortable environment."

"A-ah…" Naruto hesitated for a brief moment before standing up and weaving the Dragon and Ram hand seals. For a moment, nothing happened and Hinata was about to ask something until a great gust of wind blew past them. As the wind picked up, sand seemed to come out of nowhere as the pseudo-sandstorm briefly surrounded them. After a short while, the sandstorm calmed down, fading within the ground to reveal a large, beautiful two-story house. The house itself was surrounded by a 3-foot fence, with paper seals littered across the hard surface. The main gate was an elaborately designed gate; the Uzumaki symbol was to the right, an unknown symbol to the left, and the Konoha Leaf symbol on the top center.

Before Naruto and Hinata could take in the architectural design, Dragon beckoned the 2 ninja to follow. Dragon pushed the gate open and led them straight to the front door of the house. Naruto cut a little part of his thumb to draw blood, and wiped at the paper seal on the middle of the door, as Dragon instructed. They heard a resounding 'click,' and went inside.

The hallway was immaculate; everything about the house was dust and dirt free. The small hallway branched to the second floor staircase, the kitchen, the living room, and several doors. The trio went into the living room, which had a set of nice, almond-colored sofas, couch, and assortments of furniture. Hinata noticed the pictures that were hung up around the living room; there were pictures of the Yondaime when he was young, with the three Sannin, and other assortment of pictures. Hinata couldn't help but focus onto a picture of the Yondaime and a woman with long, red hair.

"I brought you here because this house is one of the most secure places in the entire village," Dragon stated as he sat down on a couch. Without any waiting, the ANBU captain went right to business. "The phrase that the 3rd left you was an order; an order I've been waiting 16 years to carry out."

"What orders?" Naruto questioned.

"Well, there are several parts," Dragon spoke as he reached for his mask. "The first order, is allowing me to unmask myself in front of you. The second part is to reveal your life history that you wouldn't find on that file, as there's some detail that's intentionally omitted."

The man named dragon removed his mask, but didn't remove the hood of his coat. The shadows created by the hood covered his eyes, but did show his lower facial feature. The man code-named Dragon seemed to have a scar that ran down his left cheek. His lip-line was almost non-existent, as if his lips had been burned off from torture. Naruto couldn't look at the man's upper face features since he made no notion of lowering his hood, but he did notice that Dragon was looking at Hinata.

"Is it okay for her to hear? Everyone will know soon but I was planning on telling you only…" Dragon trailed off. "As a clan heir or heiress, you would find this information out soon, it doesn't matter if you're here or not when I tell Namikaze-san."

Dragon was technically right. As a clan heiress, Hinata was trained in internal and external clan politics since she was very little. She knew some of the A-rank secrets that pertained to the Village. Couple days before they all entered the Ninja Academy, Hinata was curious about Naruto's past and tried to find if there were any secrets of the orphan. What she found, or lack of finding anything, disturbed her. When a person's name wasn't in any registry it was because the person was an ANBU Captain or an SS-rank secret.

"I-I thi-think I should leave, N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata stuttered slightly. "It-It would be im-improper for me…"

"No. I want you to listen…heck, he'd probably word it better than I could." Maybe it was the Kyuubi's influence, but Naruto's body moved on its own when he reached and gently grabbed Hinata's wrist. He wanted someone, anyone to be here with him.

What Dragon saw was similar to what he witnessed with Minato and Kushina; a silent conversation where two lovers go through. Hinata said nothing as she and Naruto sat back down on the couch, Naruto's hand not leaving Hinata's wrist.

"Very well then, Namikaze-san…Hyuga-dono. Let me tell you an unwritten history…"

* * *

Ryuujin96: I think I answered your question in a PM...let me know via PM if I didn't answer concisely enough!

HyenaSennin: It is updated sir! Life issues prevented me from writing but now I'm back

ferduran: Is it original? I mean, I hope it is and I thank you for your generous comment =]

Bekas Strife: First reviewer! Thanks much! Everyone on here seemed to put Tsunade as his pseudo-Godmother, so I'm doing the "she wasn't in the village, so she knows very little," approach. Hope the story is still inviting!


End file.
